


The Runaway

by WhiteravenGreywolf



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Beau ran away, Beau's family sucks, F/M, Family Feels, Pre-Stream (Critical Role), Thankfully she found a new one, Veth found her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-24 23:56:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteravenGreywolf/pseuds/WhiteravenGreywolf
Summary: Veth Brenatto was pregnant, not turning into a stone statue, as she liked to remained Yeza every chance she got. While hunting for moss in the forest, she found a teenager in need of a home. Beau had plans to go south, when she suddenly founds herself in a tiny halfling home and frankly, she kind of likes it.
Relationships: Veth Brenatto/Yeza Brenatto
Comments: 54
Kudos: 211





	1. The Girl in the Forest

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [beau brenatto](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17788820) by [nonbinarywithaknife (littleboxes)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleboxes/pseuds/nonbinarywithaknife). 

> Critical Role fandom, I am back!!!  
Granted I'm still in the process of catching up (I'm at episode 69 right now so no spoil) but it had been far too long since I'd watched the show and I missed it terribly. Anyway, now that I feel I am close enough to the last posted episode, I have allowed myself to writing fanfictions again.  
Before we continue, this story would never have been possible without nonbinarywithaknife over on Tumblr! They have posted quite a few ideas on this whole concept of Beau running away and being found by the Brenattos. I was greatly inspired by some of them, so go check them out here: https://nonbinarywithaknife.tumblr.com and thank you again nonbinarywithaknife for sharing all of your amazing ideas!  
Now let's get down to the most important: yes, I will be posting a new chapter everyday. That's six days of continuous update so if you like this story don't forget to subscribe to it. I think that's all I had to say, other than I hope you enjoy it!

Veth Brenatto was pregnant, not turning into a stone statue, as she liked to remained Yeza every chance she got. Sure it took her a bit more time to get around, but she still had a vial of acid dangling from her belt wherever she went. She feared nothing. That day, once she realized they were out of moss, she picked up her basket, her small dagger, and walked out of the apothecary shop after waving her husband goodbye.

“I'll be back quickly,” she promised as she pushed the door open.

"Come back soon," Yeza said as if they had exhausted all forms of arguments concerning Veth's condition, and he knew fairly well that he couldn't stop her.

Veth made her way through the town and into the nearby forest. She was a professional moss hunter. She knew exactly where it grew in large quantity, how much to pick up to allow the plant to regrow quickly and... wait, was that a button. Veth's blade stopped prying the moss from the snaky roots of a large tree. A tiny blue button had fallen out of it. She picked it up carefully and looked at it more closely. It was a simple blue button, with pieces of strings still stuck in the holes, as if it had been torn off. Veth inspected it for a long moment before she decided to pocket it. She opened the little purse hanging by her belt, already full of the buttons she'd collected recently and hadn't placed in her jar at home yet, and let the little blue button join its brothers.

She started collecting moss once again, though this time, she was only half paying attention to what she was doing. She was listening in for any sign of someone lurking nearby. That button was brand-new and clean, it couldn't have been there for more than a few hours. If the goblins thought they could trick her into following them back to their camp with buttons, they were sourly mistaken. The only taste they would get would be that of her acid.

Little by little, she managed to fill her basket with big chunks of moss. She pilled them up until they almost touched the handle of the basket. She knew how quickly they ran out of moss in their shop, and Yeza was so forgetful sometimes he wouldn't realize he was running out before it was too late. Better be safe than sorry. Once Veth was sure she had all the moss she could carry, she put the knife in the basket and turned around, intending to walk back to the village.

Something shook in the nearby bushes. It was so faint, Veth almost thought she had dreamed it. She remained completely still, her eyes on the knotted twigs and small leaves, searching for a sign of life. If one of the children had followed her here to prank her... Veth shook her head at the thought. She wasn't ten anymore, and the children usually didn't go play in the forest anyway. Her persecutors were all grown up now, they didn't have time for these things anymore.

After making sure the bushes were not moving, she took a few steps toward the town. That's when she finally saw it. Shoes, poorly hidden behind the bushes. Evidently whoever was hiding back there didn't know that those bushes didn't have leaves at their bottom. Veth could see boots, old and dirties. She could see pants with a tear on the side, and a hand trying to keep folded legs still.

“I can see you, you know?” Veth finally said.

The person behind the bush froze even further, to the point Veth wasn't sure they were breathing anymore.

“Yes, you, behind the bushes. I can see your feet.”

“Shit...” Veth heard.

There was shuffling, and for a moment, Veth thought the figure was going to emerge out. Instead, they started running away. Over the bush, Veth caught a glimpse of long, dark hair and blue clothes, before the figure darted behind a large tree. The sound of running footsteps quieted immediately. Veth waited a few more seconds, but when it became obvious that the person had hidden behind the tree, she approached carefully.

“I don't want to hurt you. I just want to know you're not a goblin or something dangerous.”

Veth was used to approaching injured critters of all kinds. She'd become an expert at handling raccoons and badgers, owls from time to time, small birds too. And a deer once, but only once. She took careful steps toward the tree, one at a time, until she was standing close enough.

“I'm not a goblin okay, so just leave me alone!” the voice of a young woman shouted from behind the tree.

“I don't believe you,” Veth replied, as she started circling the tree.

Soon enough, Veth had a clear enough view of the young woman. As soon as the young woman saw Veth, she recoiled back against the tree and looked away. The sight broke Veth's heart. She was just a teenager. Her dark hair had fallen out of its ponytail. Her intense blue eyes were darting fearfully from Veth's face to the trees behind her, looking for an escape, while also glaring at the halfling and challenging her, somehow. Her dark olive skin was dirty and marked. She'd probably tried to brush the dry blood from under her nose, but it was still there. There was a reddish mark on her neck, awfully similar to that of a hand. Her clothes were torn and caked with dirt and mud. She pulled her knees to her chest and flinched back when Veth tried to approach her.

“It's okay,” Veth promised. “I can see you're not a goblin. But you look like you're tired and hungry. Do you want to come home with me? I can give you food, and you can rest for a bit. If you want to, of course.”

The girl seemed hesitant. Her gaze continued to jump nervously around, stopping here and there to look behind Veth, then at Veth herself. Vesh hoped she didn't look too threatening. The little knife was tugged in her basket, and there was no way to know those were acid vial until she uncapped them.

"Or maybe you want to stay in the forest?" she asked again when the girl didn't give her an answer. "Maybe you want to live in the forest now? I can bring you food here if you want."

The girl shook her head.

“I don't like the forest,” she said as she tried to clear her throat.

“Oh, well, do you want to come with me then?”

There was still hesitation in the girl's eyes when she gave her answer, but eventually, she nodded. She pushed herself out of the dirt with winced, and Veth noticed both of her hands were hurt. Her knuckles were scrapped as if she'd been in a fight, and there was a gash on the back of her hand, maybe from thorns.

"Come on," Veth said as she returned to the path. "It's getting late and if we don't come home soon then Yeza will feel obligated to cook and neither of us wants that."

* * *

Veth led the teenager back into town. Thankfully it wasn't too late yet, and the sun had barely started to dip over the horizon. The girl was once again looking around nervously, maybe looking for someone in particular. Veth led her silently to the apothecary while keeping an eye on her. When they arrived in front of the shop, Veth opened the door with strength and the bell rang above the door.

“Honey, I'm back!”

Yeza appeared out of the underground laboratory with a bright smile. When he saw that Veth was blocking the entrance, and trying to hide someone behind her, whom he could clearly see because this someone was twice her size, and sigh with amusement.

“Who is behind you?” he asked.

“Oh!”

Veth feinted innocent like she usually did when she brought back an animal from the forest. She stepped aside, allowing the teenage girl, who'd been looking at the strange wind chimes over the porch, to come into the shop.

“I found this poor girl in the woods, all by herself. I told her she could rest here for a while, I hope you don't mind.”

As the girl entered the shop, Yeza took a good look at her. He, too, noticed the overall dirtiness of the girl, her tired, nervous look, and the wounds and marks on her skin. He exchanged a look with his wife, then his warm smile returned.

"Of course not. Welcome to the Brenatto apothecary!"

The girl simply nodded curtly.

“You look like you could use a bath,” Yeza said. “Not in the bad sense of the word, I mean. Maybe you'd like to take a bath before dinner, is all I'm saying...”

“Yeah... er... a bath would be nice...” the teenager said.

“I'll take care of it,” Veth said as she placed the basket of moss on the counter-top. “Here, that should do it for a while.”

Yeza's eyes seemed to sparkle at the sight of moss.

“Thank you so much, you're the best!” he said, placing a kiss on his wife's cheek.

Veth blushed but pretended she didn't, while the teenager looked away.

“I know, I know.”

Veth moved around the counter and walked toward the stairs.

“Come on...”

She paused then turned toward the girl.

“I'm sorry, where are my manners, I completely forgot to ask your name!”

The question made the girl uncomfortable, but she answered eventually:

“Beau... my name's Beau...”

“Okay, Beau. Well, I'm Veth Brenatto, this is my husband Yeza.”

Yeza waved at Beau as if she hadn't been standing in his shop for a few minutes already.

“Come on, Beau, I'll show you to the bathroom.”


	2. Folded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beau is stuck in a halfling home for the evening, with little to no space to hide herself (or her feelings)

Beau followed Veth up the stairs, and suddenly, she found herself far closer to the ceiling than she would have expected. While the shop was made to accommodate everyone, no matter their size, the first and second floors were decidedly halfling sized. Barely an inch or two separated Beau's head from the ceiling, something which didn't escape Veth.

“Oh, I'm sorry... I hope you don't hit your head on anything...”

Beau shrugged off at the caring comment.

“S'alright...” she muttered.

Veth led her to a room to the right side of the living room, and Beau had to bend over to pass under the doorway. The bathroom was once again halfling sized, with the bathtub just big enough for Beau to sit in.

“Here, I'll let you be. Take all the time you need.”

Veth exited the room, closing the door behind her. Beau was quick to lock herself inside. Her entire body was still shaking, from what she wasn't sure yet. She decided if she was going to have a breakdown, at least she could do it in the bathtub.

She undressed quickly, throwing her clothes into a pile in a corner. She'd sweated so much she shivered when the air in the room hit her naked skin. She opened the faucet and sat inside the tub, her legs folded against her chest. She waited until the tub was filled with scorching water, then finally started rubbing her skin clean. The water quickly turned murky as dry mud flaked off of her. She rubbed her face until her cheeks hurt, and managed to wash away the last of the blood from under her nose.

She took in a deep breath, and sank under the water, to wash her hair. The marks on her necks stung painfully once they touched the water, and Beau winced. However, she didn't resurface. Instead, she remained under the water for a moment, eyes closed.

If she kept her eyes closed, she could imagine that she was still back home. That thought tore her heart apart. She wanted to be home, where else would she want to be? Running around behind her parents' back, going as far as her legs would take her then coming back and washing away a day's worth of con running before either of them could find out. It was her anchor, as much as she hated to admit it. Or at least, it used to be. She would never return there, and she was fine with it. Even though her heart constricted every time she thought about it, and her throat tightened, she was fine with never going back there again.

Once her lungs ached for air, she emerged out of the water. Strands of her hair fell in front of her face, and she huffed and pushed it back.

There was a knock on the door, and, even though she knew she had locked the bathroom, Beau flinched at the sound.

“Beau? I'm sorry to bother you. I just wanted to let you know that we don't have clothes that will fit you, so if you don't mind putting on your old clothes, it's okay. Also, I hope you like fish.”

Beau rubbed her face as if trying to erase invisible tears from under her eyes. She tried to speak but her voice got caught in her throat for a moment:

“Yeah... fish is fine...” she replied.

“Okay,” she heard Veth say from the other side of the door.

Beau sighed longly and leaned back against the tub as much as she could – not at all. She remained there for a while, feeling the string of the water on her raw knuckles yet doing nothing to pull her hands out of the water. What was she even doing here? She should have continued to run. She didn't know these halflings, for all she knew they could be serial killers or something. Well, they were tiny and one of them was pregnant, but they seemed way too nice to be true.

When she felt herself dozing off, lulled to sleep by the heat of the water, she snapped herself out of it and decided she was clean enough.

* * *

When Beau exited the bathroom, once again dressed in her stupid, expensive, torn clothes, she was instantly hit by the smell of fish cooking in a pan. It wasn't unpleasant and certainly made her stomach grumble. She'd tied her hair back into a bun, but many loose strands were still dripping down her neck.

When she heard the sound of the door unlocking, Veth leaned away from the stove and smiled at her.

“Are you feeling better?” she asked.

Beau shrugged vaguely. Veth seemed to give her a once over, to which Beau thought she was checking if whether she was clean enough. That's what her mother would have done. However, Veth didn't make any other comments and returned to the fish in the frying pan. Beau looked around the living room. She could definitely see the stairs. She cleared her throat and tried to explain:

“Listen, I didn't mean to barge in on you like that... I think I'll just go...”

Veth turned to face her once again.

“You didn't barge in, I invited you. It's dangerous out there, there are bands of roaming goblins always looking for a snack. You don't want to be a goblin snack, now, do you?”

“Yeah, I think you mentioned the goblins...” Beau muttered to herself.

"You can leave in the morning if you want," Veth assured her. "Or you can spend some time here if you need it. But just stay the night, okay? I think you need it."

Beau nodded and looked awkwardly around the room. Everything was too small. She feared if she sat on the couch or in one of the chairs, she would break them. As she was still trying to figure out what to do, she heard Yeza happily humming as he walked down the stairs. He stopped when he saw Beau and smiled:

“Oh, Beau, I prepared the bed in the guest room for you. If you feel you're too tired just go to sleep, okay?”

She nodded, once again at a loss for words. Yeza came into the kitchen, and Beau noticed that he was smaller than Veth by a few inches. He picked up three plates and cutlery to set the table. Beau, tired of feeling useless, jumped to the occasion.

“Here, let me help!” she shouted, somehow scaring the halfling man who jumped at the sound of her voice.

Beau froze when she realized she'd forgotten to use her inside voice again, but Yeza didn't comment on it. Instead, he said:

“It's okay. You're our guest here.”

He took everything to the table and set it with efficiency. Beau watched with interest, as she realized the plates here were the only thing human-sized. She expected the plates to be the size of dessert plates, but they were very big and took a lot of space on the table. It was probably the only thing human-sized in the entire house.

While Yeza brought the glasses and a water jug to the table, Beau found a bunch of glass jars at the top of a shelf. Half of them were empty, and the other half filled with buttons of all kinds. When Yeza saw her staring he explained proudly:

“It's Veth's button collection.”

“That's a lot of buttons,” Beau replied with a chuckle.

“I know,” Yeza continued. “She has a special talent for finding them. I could never find a single button even if I tried to, but she... it's like the buttons come to her.”

Beau looked at the halfling with amusement. He was very proud of his wife, that was for sure.

“Can you two stop admiring my buttons?” Veth asked from behind them. “Dinner is ready, I don't want it to get cold!”

* * *

Dinner consisted of some sort of river fish, potatoes and simple boiled vegetables. No strange sauce with a million spices in them, no ten tiny plates with a single item of food in them, each requiring a different knife and fork. And above all else, no wine. For small halflings, however, they ate a lot, which might explain the plate size. It didn't bother Beau, as she wolfed down her meal hungrily. She hadn't eaten in almost two days, and the last thing she'd eaten was a stolen apple. This was heaven in comparison.

After dinner, Veth took her to the guest bedroom. The ceiling of the room was just as small, and the bed was just her size. If she slept on her side and curled into a ball, her feet shouldn't hit the bed frame. This was a relief to Beau, who'd started to think the bed would be so small, she would have to sleep on the ground.

“I'm sorry, we're not used to having humans here,” Veth said as she picked up the blanket and pulled it free, so Beau could slip under.

“It's okay,” Beau replied quickly.

She awkwardly slid into bed as the halfling woman held the blanket for her. Then to her great surprise, Veth tucked her into bed. Beau was so shocked she froze completely. No one had ever tucked her in, not even when she was a child. Her nursemaid had been an awful woman who cared as much about her as her mother did. This was the first time she was being tucked into bed, at the age of sixteen. It felt strange but in a good way.

“Good night, Beau,” Veth said as she left the room.

Beau was so slow to find her voice again, that by the time she managed to speak, the door was shut:

“Thanks...” she mumbled.

She sighed longly, willing the tears away, and took in a shaky breath. It was going to be harder than she imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished episode 69 earlier today, and all I have to day is, I'm very sad...  
But anyway, I was very surprised to see so many people read the first chapter, because I was absolutely certain that no one was going to want to read this story, but I was gladdly proven wrong, so thank you everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as the first one!  
I wanted to thank TwinVax and moretta for leaving comments. You too can leave a comment to make me happy, it's how I roll :3  
As usual, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you tomorrow for the next one!


	3. Help is Such a Small Word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after, Veth lets Beau sleep in, only to find out the teenager ran off when she wasn't looking.

As soon as she woke up, Veth went to check on Beau. She was happy to find the teenager sprawled out on the bed, deeply asleep. She smiled, pleased to see the girl resting, and closed the door as silently as she could, before moving on to her morning routine.

Yeza used to be the one who got out of bed first, but baby Brenatto was even more of an early bird, forcing his mother to rise earlier than she would like. So for now, she was the one taking care of breakfast. She assumed she would be repaid in full once the baby was born.

Yeza joined her as she was preparing breakfast. His hair was still ruffled and he was rubbing his eyes under his glasses, trying to will the sleep away.

“Good morning!” he announced brightly.

Veth shushed him with a kiss.

“Beau is still asleep. Don't wake her up.”

“Sorry,” he whispered back.

As usual, he set the table.

“I hope she'll be feeling better once she wakes up,” he said, just loud enough to be heard without waking up the whole house.

Veth nodded as she brought slices of bread over at the table.

“I'm sure she will.”

They both sat down, side by side, and on instinct, Yeza took his wife's hand in his.

“What do you think happened to her?” he asked.

Veth frowned thoughtfully.

“I think she ran away. I don't know from where exactly, I've never seen her in the village.”

Yeza was quick to create his own hypothesis.

“You found her in the woods? Probably from Zadash, then.”

Veth wasn't so sure:

“Why would she go east then? West seems more logical. The only thing east of here is...”

Neither of them dared to speak the name of their neighboring country, like the thought alone would conjure clouds for the rest of the day.

“Maybe we could try to ask her?” Yeza suggested.

Veth shook her head.

“It's a terrible idea. You just let me handle it, alright? Don't ask her too many questions or you'll overwhelm her.”

* * *

Beau was still asleep when they went to open the shop, so Veth left her a note and went on with her day. As usual, she assisted Yeza in making all the potions the townspeople had ordered, before she stashed them all in her basket, and went on her way, delivering to all the people too busy to come to the shop.

She came back soon before lunch, her basket empty save for a piece of meat the butcher had exchanged for his potions, and her purse full of coins. At the sound of the bell, Yeza emerged out of their laboratory.

“Welcome back!” he greeted her.

“I have food for tonight,” she replied, showing the wrapped bundle in her basket. “Is Beau up?”

“I don't know,” Yeza replied with a shrug. “I haven't seen her.”

Veth climbed up the stairs, and called out:

“Beau, are you awake?”

No answer. She placed the basket on the table and found the breakfast she'd left for Beau. Half of the bread was gone, but the rest was untouched. She called again:

“Beau?”

She walked up to the guest bedroom. The room was ajar, and the light was streaming inside through the curtains. The bed was empty, the sheets spread open as if she had jumped out of bed and ran off. Which was probably the case.

Veth felt a pang of sadness to know that Beau had left without even saying goodbye. But it couldn't be helped. Veth sighed and went back to the living room. As she picked up the basket once again, something fell off the table. She struggled to bend over and pick it up, but once she did, she saw it was her note from the morning. She'd left it for Beau, to tell her to take as much as she wanted for breakfast. Something had been scribbled quickly at the bottom in a different handwriting. Thanks. Veth pocketed the note and went on with her day.

* * *

Though Veth couldn't quite get Beau out of her mind, she continued with her day as normal. She assisted Yeza when he needed it, or sat in a chair behind the counter and waited for the day to end. Like clockwork, baby Brenatto stated kicking around snack time, and Yeza went to fetch pastries across the street for his wife and child. He had yet to return when the bell echoed in the shop. Veth pushed herself out of the chair and came to stand behind the counter.

At first, she didn't see anyone on the other side. Then, a small hand managed to slip a single gold coin on the counter. She leaned forward as much as she could. Three little halfling boys were standing on the other side, looking sheepish and unsure of themselves.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

The three boys exchanged quick looks before one of them managed to ask:

“One vial of acid, please.”

Veth frowned. Why in Ioun's name would these kids need a vial of acid for?

“Oliver,” she started, addressing the one who had spoken, “you know that acid is very dangerous, right? That it's not a toy?”

Oliver nodded vigorously.

“Then why would you three need a vial of acid for?”

This time, it was Alexei who replied:

“Because there's a meany big human who stole our playing spot!”

Veth frowned. They lived in a small village, where everyone knew everyone. Even these three would have been able to tell who was the human in their playing spot unless they'd never seen them before.

“A human, really? What does she... I mean, what do they look like?”

Alexei was too angry to notice her slip and described the 'big meany human' in detail.

“She's tall and ugly! Her eyes were like, blue, but angry and ugly! She said she would punch our teeth out of our mouths if we came to bother her again, so we want a vial of acid to throw at her and get our playing spot back!”

The other two agreed. Veth sighed. Well, it seemed Beau hadn't gone far.

“How about this?” she suggested. “Instead of giving you a vial of acid, I'll go talk to her, and if she doesn't want to give you your playing spot back, I'll throw acid at her face.”

The halfling boys whispered loudly to each other as they tried to decide what was the better plan. Veth played with the gold coin, waiting for their answer. Finally, they looked back at her and Oliver said:

“Deal!”

Veth pocketed the coin and walked off the stool.

“Alright then, show me where she is.”

* * *

She followed the halfling boys as quickly as she could, as they led her out of the town and toward the nearby farm. They stopped a few feet away from the back of a barn where Veth knew hay was usually stored.

“She's there,” Oliver whispered. “We don't want to get any closer.”

“Then wait here,” Veth said as she walked on.

The closer she got to the barn, the more she could hear the rhythmic sound of something beating bundles of hay. She rounded the corner, and found Beau with a long stick in her hands, hitting angrily the bundles of hay. Before she could speak, Beau heard her light footsteps approaching and shouted:

“I thought I told you not to mess with me!”

She turned around and deflated. She pursed her lips at the sight of Veth but didn't drop the stick.

“Oh... It's you...”

“I just got hired by three ten years old to throw acid at you.”

“Are you gonna do it?” Beau asked warily, her eyes trailing over Veth's form, and the vials hanging by her belt.

“I don't know. Should I? Do you want me to throw acid at you?”

“Honestly, at this point, it might just make things easier for everyone.”

Thwack! Beau hit the bundle of hay with her stick again, with such strength Veth swore the stick bent.

“I thought you'd left,” Veth continued. “When I came back this morning you were gone.”

“I did.”

Beau hit the hay again.

“Then why are you hiding here?”

Beau didn't reply. She hit the hay again, and again, the stick dangerously bending every time.

“You can talk to me, you know,” Veth said. “I want to help you.”

Beau hit the hay one last time, and her stick snapped in half. She threw the other half away and turned around to face Veth. Her eyes were red and angry. She stared down at the halfling woman and shouted:

"You don't know me, okay! You can't just pick me up like I'm some abandoned puppy or something! I got my own shit to deal with and I'm not dragging you into it! So I can't talk to you, and you can't help me! No one can! No one can help me because no one wants me! Do you know what it's like, to spend your entire life knowing that no one wants you around and that no one ever will?!"

“I do.”

Veth's words cut through Beau's anger like a knife. She stood there, almost dizzied by her anger so suddenly evaporating, and blinked.

“I know what it's like to have no friends. I know what it feels like to think that you'll never belong anywhere. But you do. It'll get better, it always does, even when it feels like it never will. So let me help you.”

All of Beau's anger had completely deflated. She stared at Veth silently. Then a first tear rolled down her cheek and another. She fell to her knees in the dust, and Veth came to hold her, resting Beau's head against her shoulder, and holding her until she had no tears left to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry, I didn't plan to post this chapter so late, but I was in convention all day and I just came back! Hopefully the wait was worth it and you enjoyed this chapter!  
I wanted to thank ohgodsabove, moretta and Blooming_Dark_Flower for leaving comments! You too can make me happy by leaving a comment :3 Other than that I'll see you guys tomorrow for the next chapter!


	4. Couldn't, Can't, Won't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veth and Beau get to talk, and decide what's next for the teenager.

Once Beau was done crying, they sat down side by side on a bundle of hay. Veth thought she would cry some more, but instead, she watched as Beau rebuilt her walls. The teenager brushed the tears in the corner of her eyes and tried to pretend that she hadn't cried at all. Her nose remained red, and her eyes watery. When she looked at Veth, her blue eyes were full of strength and determination.

“Where are you from?” Veth asked, thinking this might be a simple enough question.

Beau's voice broke on the word:

“Kamordah.”

Veth frowned.

“And you came all the way from Kamordah to here?”

Beau vaguely shook her head.

"No. My dad, he was sending me somewhere, in Zadash I think, but we got attacked on the way, so I just ran."

“Why not go home?”

Beau laughed bitterly.

“My dad made it pretty clear he didn't want to see me ever again. I did... I did a bunch of bad shit, in Kamordah...”

“And your mother?”

"You think my mother wants me back?" Beau tried to clear her throat. "She wanted a son, they both did! I've always been a disappointment to them, ever since I was born..."

Veth felt anger bubble in her lungs. She resisted the urge to march to Kamordah and instead asked:

“What are you gonna do now?”

Beau shrugged.

"Don't know. I thought I would go to the coast, maybe Nicodranas. Take a boat, go as far as I can go, probably Tal'Dorei."

Veth said nothing, though she didn't like the idea. She sat up and came to stand in front of Beau.

“Maybe you could stay here,” she suggested. “You don't have to stay long, just a few days. Just long enough to give you time to think.”

Beau shook her head.

“You don't want me around. I only bring trouble.”

"You can't just run off to the coast like that. It's dangerous! There are monsters everywhere!"

“Yeah, you told me about the goblins.”

“If you want to leave, then we'll give you everything you need to go to Nicodranas, but just stay here some time. I don't want you making any mistakes you'll end up regretting.”

“I've already made some of those...”

Still, Beau stood up and followed Veth out of the barn. As they went, Veth thought out-loud:

“You're gonna need new clothes. Maybe we could change the bed too, so you're not all squished up...”

Beau frowned:

“Hey, don't go pushing up the ceiling for me or something!”

Still, Veth wasn't listening:

“Actually, that could be good too...”

* * *

“Good morning, Veth! How can I help you?”

Veth stepped closer to the counter.

“It's not for me, it's for Beau.”

The seamstress looked past Veth, to Beau who was standing awkwardly by the door. Beau tried a smile, prompting the woman to look back at Veth quickly.

“Of course. Please, follow me.”

She led them behind the counter, to a small stool and a series of long-mirrors. Beau froze at their sight and was almost tempted to run away in the other direction. Veth pulled her along, and Beau suddenly found herself standing on the stool.

“Do you have a preference for the color?” the woman asked.

Beau shrugged.

“Not really...”

Veth, after inspecting all the long rolls of cloth, said:

"Blue, maybe? It would bring out your eyes."

“Sure, why not?”

“Blue it is then.”

* * *

Beau was horrified to see Veth pay two gold pieces in advance for five outfits, but Veth waved her concerns away. They walked back to the apothecary, Veth still trying to figure out how to fit a bed for a human adult in their small guest bedroom. Most people they crossed path with glanced at Beau, wondering who the teenager was, but Beau didn't seem to care. It wasn't until two guards patrolling passed them that Veth saw all the muscles in Beau's body tense up.

They were almost back at the apothecary when Veth had an idea:

“Do you want to get a haircut?” she asked.

Beau shook her head:

“No way. You've already spent too much money on me.”

Again, Veth ignored her concern with a wave of the hand.

“It's nothing. If you knew how much Yeza spends on keeping his sideburns nice and soft.”

Veth walked toward the barbershop, and Beau had no other choice but to follow.

The shop was small and almost empty. The human barber was hunched over his halfling client, expertly trimming his sheep-like curls. When they entered, he looked up and asked:

“Veth! What can I do for you today?”

“It's not for me, it's for Beau.”

Beau walked in behind the halfling but didn't try to smile this time.

“Just take a seat, I'll be right there.”

Veth, ever used to the place, went to sit in one of the chairs against the wall. Beau followed quickly. As they waited, Veth asked:

“What do you want to do with your hair?”

Beau sent her a panicked look.

"I don't know, man! I don't even know if I want to cut my hair at all!"

Veth picked up a book beside her and handed it to Beau.

“Here, just pick one.”

Beau started flipping through the pages. The book was full of drawings of people, with all sorts of haircuts. When she finally stopped on one that she liked, she stared at it longly. Her father would kill her if he ever saw her with a haircut like that. It was perfect.

“Your turn, young lady,” the barber said as he approached them. “What can I do for you?”

“This one,” Beau replied, showing the book.

"This one? Alright, go and sit in that chair, I'll go get my razors ready. We're gonna had a lot to shave..."

* * *

“Honey! I could use a hand!”

Veth turned her head around to shout at Yeza:

“I'm with a client right now, can you wait a few minutes?”

As she turned back to the woman standing behind the counter, her eyes found Beau, seating in a chair in a corner and reading a book.

“Beau, can you go down and help Yeza for a minute?”

Beau looked up from her book and frown.

“I don't know anything about alchemy.”

“It's alright, just do what he says.”

Beau stood up hesitantly. She left her book on the chair and walked down the stairs to the laboratory. She hadn't dared go down since she'd arrive. It was a small room, with a human-sized ceiling thankfully. A few shelves full of books and materials of all kinds rested beside tables covered with glass tubes and vials. Yeza was standing in front of a table, with a different colored vial in each hand.

“Beau, perfect, can you hand me a piece of moss?” he asked.

“How much?” Beau replied as she walked to one of the tables.

She easily found the basket full of moss that Veth had been carrying when she found her, a week prior.

“Just enough to fit in the vial.”

Beau picked up a small knife and carefully cut a little chunk of moss. As she brought it back Yeza said:

“Place it here.”

Beau did as she was instructed, and she watched as the moss was consumed by the liquid, which turned to a pink color.

“Here, hold that for me.”

Yeza handed the pink vial to Beau and walked around the lab with the other. Beau tentatively smelled the vial and almost sneezed. Yeza picked up the vial out of her hand just in time, and Beau sneezed loudly. She rubbed her nose then watched as Yeza poured the pink vial in a larger bottle, before adding the green one. As both liquids touched and slouched together, they turned orange.

Yeza sighed in relief.

“Alright, just two more. Thank you, Beau.”

Beau was looking at the pieces of paper on a table nearby.

“You're making a hair potion?”

Yeza snickered.

“You'd be surprised to see how many people... wait...”

He stopped, frowned, then picked up the paper that Beau had been reading.

“You can read halfling?”

Beau shrugged.

"Most of my father's clients were halflings. You end up picking up a few things along the way."

Yeza's eyes seemed to sparkle.

“Amazing!”

He picked up a handful of papers and shoved them in Beau's arms.

“Here, just read through these.”

“What? Why?”

“So you can help me.”

Beau was still hesitant.

“I don't think that's a good idea. I don't know anything about alchemy.”

Yeza didn't seem to care. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and said:

“No one ever does when they start.”

"I'm sure Veth is better at helping you than I am."

“Veth is busy. I don't want to bother her coming up and down the stairs in her condition.”

“Veth is not busy,” they heard Veth shouting from the top of the stairs. “But that chair is comfortable.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I just finished episode 72, you guys, just a small week and will finally - hopefully - be caught up! Also, I'm considering a sequel for this story, involving Yasha? Would you be interested in that? Just let me know if you're hyped by the idea.  
As usual, I wanted to thank ohgodsabove and nonbinarywithaknife for leaving comments! You too can spread some happiness my way by leaving a comment :3 Beside that, I'll see you guys tomorrow for the next chapter!


	5. Trouble Brewing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beau had been with the Brenatto for a few weeks when news of trouble reach the apothecary...

The bell over the door rang, and Beau walked in with a huff. She was carrying a basket full of all sorts of plants and flowers, along with a few small bags filled with flour and mushrooms and large blocks of soap. Veth was walking behind her, her arms free of any material, beside a few pretty flowers she'd picked up to put in a vase in the living room. At the sound of the bell, Yeza emerged out of the laboratory with a smile. It turned to a grimace when he saw Beau struggling to put the basket on the counter.

“Hold on!”

He tried to help as best as he could, but Beau was taller and stronger than him. She heaved the basket onto the counter and brushed the sweat off her forehead.

“Alright... I think that's everything that was on the list...”

Yeza looked quickly through the basket, checking for everything. While Beau was still leaning against the counter and taking in deep breaths, Veth walked around the counter to give a kiss to her husband.

“You could have helped Beau a little,” he said.

Veth brushed his comment off.

“Why? She said she had it handled.”

“I did,” Beau added.

“See, she did. Now I'm going to find a vase for my flowers.”

She walked up the stairs with difficulty, though she tried to pretend that she wasn't struggling. Just a month and a half, she kept repeating to herself. Just a month and a half before I can see my feet again.

Beau and Yeza watched her leave, and Yeza sighed.

“I'm sorry she's treating you like her personal donkey.”

Beau shrugged.

“I don't mind. I mean, you've been feeding me for free for like... weeks now. It's the least I can do.”

Yeza offered her a smile. Beau had been with them for almost three weeks now. Neither she nor they had talked about her leaving soon, so she'd stayed. In fact, if Beau could think of anything other than leaving, she would.

“Do you want me to take the basket downstairs?” she asked, cracking her knuckles.

“Sure. Just leave it on the table.”

Beau picked up the basket and pulled it off the counter carefully, though not without a groan. She tucked the basket against her and passed one arm under, hoping to stabilize it as she climbed down the cricking stairs into the laboratory. Just as she'd reached the bottom of the stairs, the bell over the door rang. She'd gotten used to it, and the people who came into the shop had gotten used to seeing her coming in and out of the laboratory from time to time.

She placed the basket on the nearest table, over a bunch of papers dark with all sorts of scribbles and numbers. She brushed the sweat and soreness out of her hands, stretching her fingers in the hope to make the pain go away. As she did, she listened to the people above her.

“Good afternoon, sir,” Yeza said, “What can I do for you?”

There were clicks and bangs, which Beau identified as the sound of pieces of metal armors following their wearers' movements.

“Talks in town is that you and your wife welcomed a young woman into your home a few weeks ago.”

All the muscles in Beau's body froze. She realized she wasn't breathing anymore, and let out a long, silent breath. She remained as still as she could, hidden from view, and listened.

“Why yes we did,” Yeza replied proudly. “My wife found her in the forest. The poor girl has been forced out of her home by her father, she has nowhere else to go to.”

More metal sounds, followed by the man's reply.

“That's very kind of you, but be careful. Some strange men came asking about her today. The captain likes you, so he said he didn't know anything about it, but it's only a matter of time before someone speaks and they know where to look.”

“I see...”

“Now, we like you, you're a nice fellow, a great potion-maker, you're gonna be a father soon, so the captain says, if it comes to it, you have our support. But we can't always be there keeping an eye out, see what I mean? We don't want something terrible happening to you because of some girl you picked up from the kindness of your heart. I advise you send her away, now, before it's too late.”

Beau felt something tighten in her chest. The soldier was right. If people were after her, whoever they might be, she didn't want to bring any problems to Veth and Yeza. This was her mess, not theirs.

“I understand,” Yeza replied, his voice cutting through Beau's reflection, “but we are not going to abandon her. We promised her she could stay for as long as she wanted, and we intend to keep that promise. If they want her, they're going to have to face us first.”

His voice was so full of determination, the soldier didn't dare argue back. He simply said:

“Well, be careful.”

More sounds of metal, followed by the sound of the bell. Beau was still holding her breath. She heard Yeza sigh, then jump off his stool.

“Beau?” he asked.

She pursed her lips.

“How much did you hear?”

She cleared her throat and managed:

“All of it.”

Yeza's head appeared at the top of the stairs.

“Come on. I think we need to talk to Veth.”

* * *

Veth was seething with anger when Yeza told her what happened. She paced back and forth in front of the couch, while Yeza and Beau tried to calm her.

“How dare they...” Veth angrily said between her teeth. “If they want trouble, they'll get it...”

Yeza held out his hand to try and catch his wife and stop her from pacing, but at the last minute, he pulled back.

“Honey... They haven't found her yet. Maybe we should stop thinking about it?”

Veth stopped dead in her tracks and glared at Yeza. Before she could say anything, Beau stood up and declared:

“It's all my fault. I shouldn't have stayed.”

Veth's glare suddenly turned to Beau, but it wasn't enough to pin her back on the couch.

“None of this is your fault.”

“It is. These men are after me. I bet my father sent them to find me and bring me back to wherever I was supposed to go...”

“We are not going to let them,” Veth replied strongly.

Beau shook her head.

“This is my mess and I won't let you two get stuck in it.”

Beau stepped beside Veth and went to her bedroom. Both Veth and Yeza followed her. Beau was already stuffing her new clothes in a small bag.

“Beau!” Veth tried to snap her back to reason.

“You said I could leave whenever I wanted, right?”

Beau closed off the small bag and stood up. Both halflings were standing in the doorway. The light of the hallway cast their shadow onto Beau, long, dark figures obscuring her face.

“Is it what you want?” Veth asked. “Do you really want to leave?”

Beau was silent for a moment. Her eyes remained downcast, the bag on her shoulder. Finally, with a broken voice, she said:

“It is.”

She quickly brushed past Veth and ran down the stairs. A few seconds later, the two halflings heard the bell rang, and the door close.

* * *

Yeza had reopen the shop for the rest of the afternoon, but his heart wasn't in it. After a while, Veth joined him downstairs, and sat on a chair, her eyes on the door, as if she expected Beau to come marching through it any second. No one had come at all.

With a sigh, Yeza glanced at the clock on the wall.

“We should probably close shop for the night.”

Veth said nothing. Yeza, too, didn't want to lock the front door. Still, he jumped from his stool and walked around the counter, and to the entrance. 

The bell jingled violently and three little halflings hurried inside, as out of breath as could be. They stopped right in front of Yeza, who was so shocked at their sudden entrance he was still holding one hand up to reach for the handle. Veth stood up and approached the children.

“Boys, what is going on?” she asked worriedly.

Oliver, still bent in half, managed to spit out:

“It's Beau... She's in trouble...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Does this chapter constitute angst? I'm terrible at defining what is angst and what isn't so I was just wondering if it was. Doesn't matter.  
Anyway, as usual, I wanted to thank criticalcoruscant and ohgodsabove for leaving comment. Though I'm preparing a D&D session for this Saturday I will also try to write a sequel to this story, either a long one shot or a short multichapter story? We'll see.  
Other then that, I'll see you guys tomorrow for the last chapter and the epilogue of the story!


	6. Acid to the Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veth and Yeza to the rescue!

Beau tried to brush the tears out of her eyes, passing her hand alternatively over her cheeks to erase nonexistent tear streams. Her throat was so tight she didn't know how she was still able to breathe. Every breath was a struggle not to sob. She marched toward the edge of the town, following the road she knew led to the South, and avoided Zadash entirely.

"Hey, Beau!"

She sniffed quickly and brushed her hands over her cheeks one last time before the three boys caught up with her.

“Oh, it's you three...”

She rolled her eyes in false annoyance. The three boys had to run to keep pace with her strides, but they managed just fine.

“Why do you have a bag?” Oliver asked.

“Cause I'm leaving.”

All three of them gasped.

“You're leaving? Why are you leaving?”

“Don't you like it here anymore?”

“I thought you liked living with Mr. and Mrs. Brenatto?”

She was assailed by questions from all sides. The kids were posing a thousand questions so quickly that she couldn't stop to answer any. When their chirping finally stopped, she said:

“I have to leave. It's not safe if I stay.”

“Safe?” Alexei asked. “Why not?”

“Cause bad people are looking for me.”

“I thought you kicked bad people's butt?” Dovik said.

"Yeah, well, not this time. I don't want Veth and Yeza to be hurt because of me..."

Her voice quieted, while the boys continued loudly:

“But they could help you! They make acid and stuff!”

“Yeah, acid is super dangerous!”

Beau mostly ignored them. They were almost at the edge of the town. She could see the farm where she'd first hidden in, on top of a nearby hill, and then forests as far as the eye could see, cut in half by the road. She stopped and turned around, hoping to face the three boys once and for all. It took a few seconds for them to actually stand in front of her.

“Listen, you three have to go back home, alright? Stop following me, and stop talking about me! If those bad people find you...”

“You should listen to her.”

Though Beau couldn't recognize the voice, her blood froze over. She turned around slowly. Three men in old banged-up armor, stood at the end of the road, just waiting to snatch her.

“It's dangerous out there.”

The three halflings leaned around Beau's legs to see the men, but they didn't seem impressed at all.

“You can't take Beau away!” Alexei shouted.

“Yeah, she's our friend!” Oliver added.

Beau quickly kneeled to face the three boys.

“Run!”

“But...”

“I said run, come on! Get out of here! I don't want to see you guys anymore! Go!”

Reluctantly, the three halflings ran away, though not without glancing at the men, then Beau, one last time. Beau turned around to face the three men, whom she assumed to be mercenaries. One of them was some sort of half-orc, long tusks protruding from between his lips. He was twice as wide as the two humans, and Beau knew for a fact she wouldn't stand a chance against him.

“I'm not going to let you take me back!”

“Miss Lionett,” one of the human said, making Beau's skin crawl, “you've had your fun but your father has been worried, and he's paying us good money to bring you back.”

She chuckled in disbelief.

"Like hell he's worried! He probably paid a shit ton to get me to that place in Zadash and he wants to make sure I get there."

“Details don't matter. We've been tasked to bring you back to Kamordah and that's what we're going to do.”

Beau let the bag fall off her shoulders. She clenched her fists. She didn't know much about fighting, but most of what she knew she'd learned it on the street, where there was only one rule: Fight, keep fighting, and never stop.

“If you want me, come and get me.”

* * *

Yeza and Veth followed the three boys back to the entrance of the town as quickly as they could. For a pregnant woman, Veth was still very fast, and she distanced her husband and the three children very quickly. When she arrived, she found one of the men on the ground, rubbing the left side of his face, drops of blood falling from his temple. Another man had a claw-like mark imprinted on his cheek, not deep enough to draw blood but bright red nonetheless. Beau was being restrained by a half-orc. He had passed his arms under hers and was lifting her off the ground, while she struggled and screamed. She managed to bite his arm and he yelped and almost let her slip. The man with a claw mark was picking up a long rope from the ground.

“Let her go!” Veth yelled.

With amazing dexterity, she picked up a vial of acid from her belt and threw it at the man holding the rope. The green liquid splashed his shoulder, and while some spread on his armor, the rest began to eat at his throat and jaw. He yelled and groaned, and lost his balance. He fell on the ground, one hand coming to clasp the wound on his throat. He pulled back his hand immediately, as the acid bit his palm and fingers.

The other two mercenaries had looked at their friend with utter shock and surprise. Veth pulled out another vial and brandished it menacingly. 

“There's more where that came from!” she continued to yell. “So let her go, now!”

The man on the ground brushed the blood out of his face and stood up slowly, hands up. Beau was still struggling in the half-orc's grasp.

“Come down, ma'am, alright... We're just doing our job. Her dad wants her back, we're just trying to bring her home.”

"If her dad wanted her so much, he wouldn't have tried to send her away in the first place!" Veth countered. "So let her go, tell him you didn't find her, and that's the end of it."

“Ma'am,” the man continued, offering his most charming smile. “We can't just...”

“Let my daughter go!”

Yeza came charging with a vial of acid of his own, which he threw expertly. Never before had Veth seen her husband throw which such precision, as the vial hit the human in the face, and splashed acid all over his eyes. His screams pierced the early evening sky with such strength, it must have been heard all the way to Rosohna. He fell back on the ground, rolling right next to his partner.

Yeza stopped beside Veth, out of breath, his eyes wide in shock from his perfect throw. He pulled another vial from his belt and readied it. The half-orc, seeing both of his partners defeated by two halflings, slowly let go of Beau, who fell back onto the ground.

“I don't want any trouble, okay? We'll just leave.”

Still, Beau took the time to punch him in the face, and while the blow didn't seem very strong, it still made the half-orc flinch.

"Tell my father if he wants me, he can come to get me himself!" She yelled as she walked away, flipping the three mercenaries off as she went back to Veth and Yeza.

As soon as she was close enough, Veth started fretting around her, checking for any wounds. Her knuckles were once again bruised, and the had a cut over her left eye bleeding lightly, but other than that, she looked fine.

“Are you okay?” Veth asked. “Did they hurt you?”

“No, I'm... I'm fine...” Beau promised.

They watched as the half-orc helped his human friends back up, supporting the one who'd been splashed in the eyes, and helped them inside the small carriage they'd been traveling with, probably destined to lock Beau up until they made it to Kamordah. Once they were sure the mercenaries were driving away, Beau turned to Yeza.

“Did you just call me your daughter?” she asked with amusement.

Yeza flushed a bright shade of red.

“Did I? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, it was in the moment, I...”

“No, it's okay,” Beau said. “I didn't mind.”

Still, Yeza continued to blush.

“It was amazing!” they heard shouting from behind them.

The three children had watched all of it and were now jumping around excitedly.

“Mr. Brenatto, that was an amazing throw! Right in the eyes!”

Yeza blinked as he seemed to realize what he had done.

“Oh... oh no... I just blinded a man, didn't I?”

“It was a nice throw,” Beau offered.

“But I...”

Veth shut him up with a kiss.

“You were amazing, honeybun.”

“I was,” Yeza finally agreed.

"Come on, let's go home before the guards hear what happened."

The boys were already running home to tell the story to their parents. Veth took Yeza's hand and they began their way home. Beau remained there for a moment. She looked at the hills in the distance, and the forests, and the road.

“Beau?”

She picked up her bag and quickly walked until she was on Veth and Yeza's level.

“Let's go home,” she agreed.


	7. Epilogue

“Come on, you can do it, say 'Beau'.”

Luc stared back at her with his wide dark blue eyes, blinking. Not a sound passed his lips. A few seconds later, he started chewing on the arm of his doll once again. Beau sighed. Luc was at the age where he should have started talking, and while he could say some small things, like 'Ma' and 'Pa', he'd yet to call her by her name, or any name for that matter.

She lightly bounced the toddler on her knee. She was always very careful with him. Not only was he a small child, but he was a halfling, making him extremely small compared to her. When he was born she'd very longly hesitated to carry him at all, because he was barely taller than the palm of her hand. Now she could almost tug him against her elbow. Give it a few months and he would finally be the size of a human newborn.

Luc giggled lightly, and Beau hugged him.

“It's okay if you can't say it, I'm not mad,” she assured him.

She heard laughter coming her way and rolled her eyes. The three boys were running up the hill. There really was no good place to hide from them.

“Beau! Come play with us!” Oliver shouted.

“Fine. Let's play hide and seek,” she suggested.

“No,” Dovik replied. “You always cheat at that.”

“I don't cheat, you guys are just too well hidden,” she said with a shrug.

Still, the boys shook their heads.

“Last time you didn't find us, and we stayed in the hay for hours and my mom got mad at me cause I smelled like cows,” Alexei said.

"I can't play, I have to watch over Luc," Beau said, showing the baby on her knee.

“You never play with us anymore,” Oliver protested. “Luc isn't fun, he's a baby.”

“What? How can you say that? Luc is so much fun!”

Luc started giggling, as he heard his name being pronounced a few times.

“See? So much fun.”

Beau stood up, placing Luc on her hip as she walked down the hill.

“When will you play with us again?” Alexei shouted.

“When Luc is old enough to play as well!” Beau shouted back.

She heard the three boys sigh and groan, but neither of them followed her. She decided to return home, see if she could leave Luc there before heading to the library. There was a strange woman dressed in blue who'd been spending a lot of time there recently, and Beau wanted to annoy her until she told her who she was and what she was doing here in the smallest library in the world.

"Hopefully you'll be less annoying than them when you grow up," Beau said as she walked, not sure Luc was listening. She continued anyway: "Be like dad, you know?"

Luc didn't seem interested in what she was saying, but more so in her hair. He tried to grab for the bun over her head, but he was far too small to reach. He quickly got distracted by the doll in his hand, and its button eyes, which he started licking.

They reached the shop in record time, and when the bell rang, Yeza emerged out of the laboratory. He came to stand beside Veth, who was seating in a chair and knitting a sweater for her son.

“Back so soon?” she asked.

“The terror trio found us. Can I leave Luc here, I want to go to the library?”

“Why don't you take him with you?” Yeza suggested.

“After last time?”

They all still remembered that time Luc started crawling under the shelves of the library, and, like a kitten, hid in a corner where he had been impossible to reach.

“Hand him here,” Veth said, opening her arms to collect her son.

Carefully, Beau deposited the tiny halfling in his mother's arms.

"Your sister is abandoning you," Veth said jokingly while Beau rolled her eyes.

Instantly, Luc started whining and tearing up.

“Oh, what's wrong, honey?” Veth asked as she tried to console her son.

“Sis...” Luc started muttering between sobs. “Sss... sis..”

They all fell silent for a moment. Veth smiled at Beau.

“He wants his sister back.”

Beau pursed her lips and said nothing at first.

“Sis...” Luc continued to cry.

Beau fainted a sigh and held out her arm to pick her brother back up.

"You clingy... Fine, you can come to the library with me."

Almost as soon as he was in her arms, Luc stopped crying. He nuzzled his tiny head against her neck, spreading his tears all over her collar. She grimaced at the feeling but held him there nonetheless.

“Sis...” Luc continued to say.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is it! Sorry I wanted to post this chapter+epilogue sooner but I missed my bus earlier this afternoon and it basically shifted everything I had to do from half an hour... But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story! I should have a sequel soon, and probably other stories, especially since I only have 8 episodes left to watch before I'm all caught up (next stop, finally getting past episode 52 of Campaign 1!)  
As usual, I wanted to thank Hedgi, Moone, Nagasha, OctoberDays, ohgodsabove and BlanketGhost for leaving comments! And thank all of you for reading the story till the end! Once again, I hope you enjoyed it, and have a wonderful week you guys!

**Author's Note:**

> You can leave a comment if you want to make me happy :3


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